A solder ball pad is provided for mounting and connecting of electronic devices and, more particularly, apparatus and methods are disclosed providing an improved solder ball pad structure on a substrate, such as a printed circuit board (“PCB”) or a semiconductor die, while enabling better use of the spaces between adjacent solder ball pads, and at the same time providing increased surface area for bonding to a solder ball. More particularly, the inventive solder ball pad structure comprises a terminal pad exposed through an aperture in an insulative mask having a bond pad layer comprising at least another metal layer formed over, at most, a portion of the exposed portion of the terminal pad. Methods of manufacture and substrates incorporating same are also disclosed.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A substrate for an electronic device configured for mounting a discrete conductive element thereon, the substrate comprising: a sheet of insulative material; a metal layer defining a terminal pad formed on a surface of the sheet; an insulative mask extending over the sheet and having an aperture therein through which a portion of the terminal pad is exposed; and a bond pad layer comprising at least another metal layer formed over, at most, portion of the exposed portion of the terminal pad, the bond pad layer extending up a sidewall of the aperture and over a portion of the insulative mask adjacent to the aperture.
2. The substrate of claim 1 , further comprising a solder ball in direct electrical contact with both the bond pad layer and the terminal pad.
3. The substrate of claim 2 , wherein the solder ball is attached to a side surface of the bond pad layer.
4. The substrate of claim 3 , wherein the solder ball is attached to the portion of the bond pad layer extending over the insulative mask.
5. The substrate of claim 1 , wherein the bond pad layer is configured as radially extending elements generally symmetrically arranged about an exposed, central portion of the terminal pad.
6. The substrate of claim 1 , wherein the bond pad layer comprises a plurality of apertures through which the terminal pad is exposed.
7. A substrate for an electronic device configured for mounting a discrete conductive element thereon, the substrate comprising: a sheet of insulative material; a metal layer defining a terminal pad formed on a surface of the sheet; an insulative mask extending over the sheet and having an aperture therein through which a portion of the terminal pad is exposed, the exposed portion of the terminal pad having a centroid; and a bond pad layer comprising at least a metal layer formed over at least a portion of the exposed portion of the terminal pad, extending up a sidewall of the aperture and over a portion of the insulative mask adjacent to the aperture, the bond pad layer further comprising a plurality of apertures through which portions of the terminal pad are exposed.
8. The substrate of claim 7 , wherein a centroid of the bond pad layer is positioned according to a measured lateral position of the aperture in the insulative mask.
9. The substrate of claim 7 , wherein the bond pad layer is selectively configured for positioning of a solder ball thereover attributable to removal of an initially disposed portion thereof.
10. The substrate of claim 7 , further comprising a solder ball in direct electrical contact with both the bond pad layer and the terminal pad.
11. The substrate of claim 10 , wherein the solder ball is attached to a side surface of the bond pad layer.
12. The substrate of claim 11 , wherein the solder ball is attached to the portion of the bond pad layer extending over the insulative mask.
13. The substrate of claim 7 , wherein the bond pad layer is configured as radially extending elements generally symmetrically arranged with respect to an exposed, central portion of the terminal pad.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
March 12, 2004
September 6, 2005
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